There is almost no aspect of policing that does not include or touch the community in some way. To that end, building trust and meaningful, productive partnerships between law enforcement and the communities they serve is a foundational element of equitable policing.

Excellent agencies will consider community trust and partnership an ongoing, active process in which they collaborate and co-create public safety with their communities. Meaningful engagement with communities most impacted by crime and violence is critical to building communities of trust. Agencies that achieve community trust and partnership work regularly with local leaders, advocates, and community-based organizations to identify and address mutually identified community safety concerns through problem-solving processes. Importantly, to build community trust and partnership, the means through which agencies achieve community safety goals should be co-developed, equitable, and regularly assessed for effectiveness.

homeowner pointing out an issue to a police officer

Resources Related to Community Trust and Partnerships

Visit the Knowledge Lab’s full resource index here.

  • Reset

Article | 2019

Cultural Diversity and Cultural Competency for Law Enforcement

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Recruitment and Retention

Research Article | 2019

Race, Place, and Effective Policing

  • Crime and Violence Response
  • Community Trust and Partnerships

Report | 2018

The Police Response to Mass Demonstrations: Promising Practices and Lessons Learned

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Response to Mass Demonstrations

Guidebook/Tool | 2018

Park Ridge’s Success Story on Going Beyond Crisis Intervention Team Training: Building Whole-Community Responses to Mental Health

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Mental Health and Crisis Response

Webpage, Other | 2018

Point-of-Service Information Sharing Between Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health Partners: Addressing Common Misconceptions

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Mental Health and Crisis Response

Report | 2018

Advancing Charlotte: A National Policing Institute Assessment of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Response to the September 2016 Demonstrations

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Response to Mass Demonstrations

After Action Report | 2018

After-Action Review of the Orlando Fire Department Response to the Attack at Pulse Nightclub

  • Crime and Violence Response
  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Response to Mass Demonstrations
  • Responding to Mass Critical Incidents

Guidebook/Tool, Training | 2018

Effective Community Responses to Mental Health Crises: A National Curriculum for Law Enforcement Based on Best Practices from CIT Programs Nationwide

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Mental Health and Crisis Response

The information provided within these modules has been gathered from various sources, including consent decrees, research, and practitioner and department-developed resources. These webpage modules are intended to be a guide for departments to use to improve their Constitutional policing practices. Additional information and resources may be needed to implement the recommendations successfully. This resource is intended to be dynamic, and the Knowledge Lab will continue to update and add to these modules to provide additional and current guidance for departments.

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